My Brother’s Gift – Friday

Anne Frank left a diary. Heinz Geiringer left over twenty paintings and a book of poetry. Heinz loved the arts. Countless hours were spent at the piano trying to smooth out tricky passages and improve his skills. When the Nazis forced his family into hiding, Heinz turned to painting and poetry to utilize his time. He painted on tea towels, pillowcases and any surface that he could find. During the play, we witness his artistic growth through his paintings, poetry and his sister’s remembrances. The paintings vary from a nostalgic love of the life he led to the terror and fears that were part of his day. From the tender age of fifteen to seventeen, Heinz left the world a body of work. Some paintings were simply to improve his skills. Others were of freedom and hope. And others were dark and foreboding.